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Thursday, 30 June 2011

BUILDING THE WELLGATE CENTRE - 70'S

The top photo shows us how the council reached the decision to grant planning permission for the Wellgate Centre - as you can see, it was based on their observation that the building was "sympathetic to its surroundings", a phrase town planners like to spout!

So it's the mid 70's and the construction work is in full flow - just like the contractors champagne!

funny, the most familiar landmark in the second photo, for me, is the strange outcrop of rock visible in the Tay. We always thought it looked like the conning tower of a submarine breaking the surface.

Around 1974/5 I used to park on the bomb site that was left when the old Wellgate was demolished. I can clearly remember that the mosaic doorstep of Boots the chemist was left embedded whilst all around was mud.Somehow the Wellgate centre struggles on but if T.J.Hughes shuts it will be a big space to fill.Please not another charity shop though!

Yes, the Wellgate Centre was linked to civic corruption and designed by the same firm of architects who came up with the Derby Street multis, Olympia and Tayside House.

But aren't Dundonians just a wee bit fond of it? Demolish the Wellgate Centre tomorrow and you can guarantee the 'Retro Retro Dundee' of 20 years hence will be full of nostalgic comments bemoaning its demise!

The old Wellgate holds so many memories in my heart. It was an image of Dundee as it was, and could have stayed. The big stores have since moved out of the modern Wellgate centre to larger and more efficient out of town sites. The Wellgate Steps with all their history will, hopefully survive another few decades. When you look through the photos of the old Wellgate. ..that was the heart of Dundee, and we stood by while the planners and bulldozers ripped it apart.